


The Last Case: Legacy of Lies

by Aerdella



Category: Black Butler, Kuroshitsuji (2014), Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Caring Sebastian, Demon, Demon Deals, Demon Sebastian Michaelis, Demon Summoning, Demon/Human Relationships, Demons, Detectives, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Jealous Sebastian, London, Love, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, Modern Era, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, POV Sebastian, Poor Sebastian, Possessive Sebastian, Romantic Fluff, SEBASTIAN - Freeform, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24878530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerdella/pseuds/Aerdella
Summary: "Form a contract with me."Avery had grown up in a life of financial stability and comfort. That is, until a pair of murderers decided to go on an upper-class killing spree. Refusing to watch her family fall apart, Avery joins the police force, hoping to catch the duo.Somewhere along the way, she falls in love with a man straight out of Downton Abbey.OrA wannabe detective and a Victorian butler make some chaos together.
Relationships: Sebastian Michaelis/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10
Collections: Black Butler





	1. The Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first ever fanfiction. I have read a lot in the past but this past week and decided to give writing one a try. Knowing that I am new to this, I am always open to any suggestions you guys have. 
> 
> This chapter has a lot of background so if you find it boring, do not hesitate to skip it, I can assure you the following chapter is much more exciting. 
> 
> Now, without further ado, please enjoy the first chapter!

If you looked at Avery Strand, you might have thought she was one of those little girls who wanted to play cops and robbers.  
She was by no means “cute” or timid. Nor was she short or slight. Rather, like the rest of her family, she held her head high in society and her eyes seemed to pierce everyone, even with a slight glance. Her tall stance commanded attention and her words, though phrased like any other young adult, held a strong undertone. Indeed, her persona seemed to clash in every aspect of a “little girl”. 

After thinking a bit further, what normally ran through people’s minds as they passed by her in the streets was, “she is not fit to be part of the police force”. 

True, growing up, she did not concern herself over financial matters and lived comfortably. Her elegance spoke volumes for her upbringing. Put simply, she was not poor. But now, circumstances have changed.

She is currently a detective, or she would like to think of herself as one. Her present rank was far too low on the police hierarchy scale to be considered a “detective”. Yet, she believed herself to be an important part of the police force, often taking matters into her own hands by either investigating suspects or leading a wild chase around London. It was not uncommon for Avery to be called out by her superior for her unruly actions, but after each meeting, she would slowly return to her old ways: she enjoyed the thrill and her determination to solve one particular case pushed her to try to end each case as soon as possible. 

At the moment, Avery was trying to capture a pair of murderers who recently took the lives of a high-ranking politician in London. The poor man had been brutally murdered, his bloody body hanging from the steeple of a nearby church. However, this man was only the latest of the murderers’ kills. So far, they had taken the lives of at least five other men, all of which were from the upper class. The pair reigned terror over the rich and famous, including her own parents, who had made their fortune on electronics and manufacturing. Once proud and charismatic leaders of the industry, her parents were now reduced to little mice cowering within the secured confines of their multi-million dollar house, refusing to attend any parties or meetings. Rather, they opted to manage their business through video conferencing and phone calls. However, after months and eventually years without journeying outside, small banters turned into raucous arguments and soon, a divorce loomed in the distance. Meanwhile, Avery was forced to watch quietly as her family fell apart little by little. She too was trapped in the house and desperately longed to go outside, even if it was for a little bit. Countless attempts at window climbing, furious dashes through the front door, or roof climbing all ended up in failure by the hands of her parents’ security guards. And so, within the terribly quiet walls of the large house, she planned and vowed to catch the murderers who were tearing her family and life apart. While taking online detective classes with the help of her police friend, Sam, she completed the required courses and luckily was accepted by a local station. 

So, it was only by pure chance that a cookbook, which had been placed far too close to the stove, caught on fire and pure chance when that cookbook fell onto the wooden floors, torching the rest of the area. It was then, when the firefighters came to the rescue, when Avery slipped out the door, leaving a note on her father’s briefcase (one he would never leave without) stating her disappearance to the police station to become a detective and one last desperate plea for their reunion. She was sure that her parents would unite momentarily and come after her but she had plans to become a detective, albeit a lowly sidekick, to the local police department. The police were one of the few places her parents, even with their money and power, would leave untouched. They feared scandal above all and Avery hoped that their belief in the police system would extend towards protecting her. 

It had been almost half a year since she joined the force and she was glad that her parents had not shown any sign of taking her away. All was quiet except for an occasional barrage of video calling requests. In the meantime, the pair of murderers’ kill count reached twenty. Despite months of false leads and frustration, she had finally found a clue. A bartender had recognized one of the men who had been present at the politician’s household the night before the murder. Now, Avery was following that man, her prime suspect, throughout London. Driving slowly, she carefully made sure her car blended with the crowd while she discreetly trailed his car. Soon, after what seemed like hours driving through the woods, she found herself driving up to a large manor, unkempt and dilapidated. With its vast size and grand, lofty towers, there was no doubt in her mind that this once belonged to a nobleman during the Victorian era. She parked her car somewhere among the trees and ran swiftly across the sparsely decorated field before climbing through a broken window. Once inside, she pulls out her gun and after calling backup, ventures further into the manor, passing through many rooms with faded gold trimmings before reaching the doorway of a large library at the end of a hall. Suddenly, a shadow creeps on the floor towards her until she sees a man peering before her. She looked up, alarmed, and pulled out her gun, shakily pointing it at the man’s broad chest. He gives her an amused smile, crimson eyes reflecting her own, wide ones. 

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot” she commands steadily. As an experienced detective, Avery’s used to these situations and eyes the man carefully, slowly taking in who the mystery man is. 

Dressed almost entirely in black except for his white dress shirt, the man looked to be a butler from the Victorian era (thanks to her knowledge from binge watching eight seasons of Downton Abbey). His suit, though crisp and clean, seemed to be very worn. He had absurdly pale skin and his sculpted figure towered at least half a foot above her. 

The man looks at her gun amused and pauses his movements. "Well, he doesn’t seem like those murderers. In fact, he doesn’t seem like he’s from this century!" She thought, ruling out the possibility of his participation in the murders. "Maybe he used to serve someone here, a nobleman of sorts?" Gathering her courage to ask about the whereabouts of the men she was following, Avery attempts to step through the doorway only to be bounced back by an invisible barrier. 

“What is this?” she mutters, rubbing her forehead. 

“It’s a barrier meant to keep others out and I in.” the man replies, seemingly entertained by her discovery.

Temporarily forgetting the thieves which led her into the manor, she leaned forward in interest.

“A barrier? Is this some kind of superpower? Did someone put this here? This is simply impossible!” She remarked as wild thoughts from webtoons and other animes ran circles in her head. 

The man chuckled, “I suppose you could call it a ‘superpower’. And yes, this was placed by someone else, very cruelly and very suddenly if I do say so myself. It was from my previous contract holder who made a deal with a certain reaper. I have been here ever since. Perhaps it is a sort of ‘punishment’ he had thought of before his death…” He trailed off, frowning. His dark eyebrows furrowed as if he had remembered something unpleasant. 

"What a cruel punishment to be locked up in that dingy library!" She thought sadly. No sunlight or freedom. And what was this contract? Reaper? Is this some kind of joke? Too many questions circled in her head. 

“Wha-” Was all she could manage before she heard footsteps down the hall. A lot of footsteps. More than two people.

“Oh shit, they’re here! There’s so too many of them! When is backup coming?!” Avery whispered desperately, quickly pulling out her gun and switching off the safety. She clung as close to the wall as she could, taking her shooting stance. 

“Let’s make a deal. If you help me escape this room, I will eliminate those people.” The man offered. 

Muffled shouting and heavy footfalls grew louder every second until they almost seemed upon her. She rapidly glanced down the hall, turning away from the man. Her mind was on fire. Was it worth it to let a possible criminal out of this supernatural prison? After all, he must have done something wrong to be stuck there in the first place. But, she thought, I could die from this if someone doesn’t save me now. Backup should be coming later anyways and can take this man into questioning afterward. 

Her eyes squeezed shut briefly while she hastily made a quick decision and replied, “Alright, what do I need to do?”

The man beckoned her closer, “Form a contract with me.” 

Must be some sort of promise I would need to make Avery silently thought.

“What sort of contract? What are the terms?” Avery asked, believing she could find loopholes or work something out in the aftermath. 

“The details will be smoothed out once I ensure your safety. It is one which deals with your soul in exchange for achieving your greatest desire.” 

“Uh, what?!” 

Just as she was to ask how one could ever deal with a soul, her ears were greeted with the sounds of sirens. A relieved sigh escaped from her lips. The thundering footsteps which were almost at her area stopped shortly before dissipating as the group ran in the opposite direction towards whatever hiding places they had procured in the manor. Carefully, Avery stood up and turned back to the disappointed man. 

“I guess that solves that. Thank you anyway for the offer.” she acknowledged, holding out her hand to shake hands. Then, realizing the invisible barrier was there, she meekly scratched her head, “Oh sorry I forgot about the barrier.” 

“Ah, I see. Will I see you again?” he asked slowly, walking as close to the doorway as he could. 

Avery hesitated. Would she see this man again? Was it safe too? Perhaps he was in there for a good reason.

“No, I don’t believe you will,” she decided.

“Well then” He stopped and frowned, “Good day.” 

With a bow, the man silently walked away from the doorway, shoulders drooping slightly as he disappeared deeper into the room. 

She stared after him wondering who exactly he was and what evil deed he did to receive such a cruel punishment. Outside she heard someone call her name. “Avery! Avery! Where are you?!”  
"It’s Sam!" She thought happily. "He’s come for me!" She ran quickly down the hall, forgetting about the questionable man. 

Once outside she looked excitedly around for her childhood friend, Sam. 

“Over here, Avery! By the trees.”

At last, she spotted Sam leaning against a police car, waving her over while surrounded by a couple of her fellow policemen.

“Look who decided to show up. Ms. Loner who doesn’t go by the laws and rushes after dangerous thieves alone.” Sam joked but his eyes held no mirth. His expression suddenly turned serious. “I always tell you this. Be careful next time Avery, I don’t know how long I can make excuses for you.”

“C’mon, I was so caught up in the moment! I mean one moment I’m getting coffee and the next, I see the prime suspect driving down the street and I’m in my car chasing their van throughout London.” She enthusiastically justified, waving her hands as she actively recalled her latest adventure. “Although I am grateful that you had shown up with back up at the right time! I had such a fright with those thieves up there! They were almost upon me.”

For some odd reason, she neglected to tell Sam she had met a strange man in the manor. Something told her that his presence did not need to be known. Thinking back, it seemed that the man was more than he had originally let on. She would have to dig into his background later. 

As she finished her story, a burly policeman, Sanders, Avery’s superior, strode over to the group, a scowl stretched across his features. “Ah Sourpuss nice to see you here” Avery greeted with forced politeness her expression immediately changed to a fake smile as he approached.

“Those blasted murderers! They got away again! Escaped through the back door with a car waiting for them! Arghh.” He crumpled his policeman cap in his hands with frustration. Then he turned to Avery.

“And YOU!” he pointed his finger at her, “Don’t call me that bloody name again. How dare you disobey regulations rush in there by yourself. Last time was your last warning when Sam covered you. But this time, I am taking you up with the chief. You’re a nuisance and cause nothing but trouble ” He snorted, malice glinting in his eyes, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you suspended or better yet, fired!” 

“Fired? Sourpuss, you think I am going to be fired? What nonsense!” she giggled nervously, aware of her previous escapades and close calls, most of which ended with backup rescuing her without success in catching the criminal. 

“We’ll see about that.” Sourpuss snickered, sneering at Avery before walking away. 

Once he was gone, Avery frowned and turned to Sam. “That sorry excuse of a man! Who does he think he is? Okay, I may be new but I am doing my best to help here, without pay! I also played the main part in catching the Hope diamond thief too! I swear, one day, I’m going to show him that I am the greatest detective in the world!” She laughed maniacally. “Shove that in your pipe and smoke it, Sourpuss!” 

Sam sighed, nodding in agreement. He too disliked Sanders, erm Sourpuss, and his tendency to bring things to boil in an instant. It never seemed like he had a filter. Technically Sam had a higher authority than Sourpuss but oftentimes, Sourpuss would step over the line with his outright blaming and harsh words. 

“Sam, you’ll cover for me right,” Avery asked him with wide puppy eyes. 

“I don’t know if it’ll count this time Avery since the chief did say it was your last chance, but I’ll try”

“Ahhh, you’re the best Sam!” Avery cheered, hugging him tightly, “Anyways, I better head back now that my star role is over, call me when the forensics team finishes collecting samples and taping everything off”

“Will do. See you later.” Sam replied, backing away from her just in case she threw another surprise hug at him. 

Avery quickly walked through the trees, glad she remembered where she parked her car. Stepping into the car and revving up the engine, she ripped down the dirt path with the radio turned up to “Highway to Hell”. 

Once she drove into the parking lot of a complex, she ran up the stairs to her apartment and crashed onto the bed. Sure, she was dirty but right now, all she wanted was a long nap. All of the excitement left her quite drained and what better than a midday nap to refresh herself?

The sun was already setting when a sudden phone call startled her out of bed. It was the police station. Alright, finally time to get to work! She thought enthusiastically, picking up the phone. 

“Avery, how are you feeling?” a voice she recognized to be Sam’s. 

How are you feeling? She froze. Why was he asking her that? Even in her sleep-boggled mind, she realized something was wrong. After many close incidents, each one ending with Sam asking her how she was feeling, Avery had lectured him to stop asking her that since it was driving her up that wall. After that, he never questioned her state again, though he did look concerned after every event. 

But now, he was breaking the unspoken promise. Something really bad must have happened. Something unspeakably terrible that Sam was now suddenly openly caring about her wellbeing. She nervously swallowed, before answering. 

“I’m fine. Just woke up from a nap.” She willed herself to be calm, trying to convince herself everything was alright. Maybe another person was murdered? Another case? Was she about to die? Her heart beat impossibly fast as her brain churned out possible reasons for this call, each one wilder than the last. 

“Avery…” Sam cleared his throat, “Do you remember the murderers you were chasing?”

A chill settled Avery’s bones, how could she not remember, she was just chasing them hours ago! What had happened in the last few hours?

“Of course, I was just after them not too ago.” She swallowed once more, trying to stay calm,  
“Sam, you’re scaring me, what’s this all about? Is there another case? What’s happening? Please, tell me.”

By now, her hand was trembling, even though she struggled to keep them still. Her stomach churned. She felt something dreadful had happened. Something that had to do with her. 

“Avery I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t stop them.” Sam begged, reasoning for some strange reason. “I couldn’t stop them from taking you off the team.”

Avery blew a sigh of relief, that’s all it was. She had thought something terrible had happened. Sure, she had just lost her job, but right now that was the least of worries. But then Sam continued talking.

“And…” Sam paused. It was a heavy pause and Avery wanted to scream. “Avery, your parents, they’re dead.”

What he next heard through the phone startled him, a loud crash boomed to his ears followed by an eerie silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this guys! Sorry that Sebastian hasn't played a larger role.
> 
> Drop your thoughts on the comment section. I would love to hear what you guys think of the first chapter!


	2. Into the Lion's Cage

The sky was falling. The air roared; screamed in her ears through the open windows. A dangerous dance of shadows and light flitted about the walls as the light fixture swung precariously in the ceiling. Despite the sheets of white paper swirling in the air, the apartment was neat, organized even. Before disappearing, Avery had made sure to clean up, after all, she wasn’t going to be back for a while. 

Yes, she had decided not to come back at all. 

And so, she left, with a loud bang of the door resonating through the phone to Sam. A waterfall of emotions consumed her. At first, she felt anguish, a feeling of helplessness as the two people she loved most disappeared from the world. She was alone, without anyone to support her. Suddenly, the annoying video calls, spontaneous phone calls, and even little arguments were more precious. “Mom, Dad, please, you can’t be dead.” Avery croaked as tears dripped from her cheeks. How could they have died just like that? It was impossible, they had dozens of bodyguards around them at all times! As she thought about it more, suspicion and fury clouded her senses. “The murderers Sam mentioned, they must have killed them.” Her eyes flashed as her thoughts raced, “Yes, I will kill them, I will destroy those who have destroyed me”. 

In a storm of rage, she fled her apartment, packing her most valuable belongings, including a laptop, phone, wads of money, credit cards, guns and ammo, and her locket which held a picture of her most precious memory of her parents and her together at a picnic. It had been the happiest day of her life but now, that moment and her memories had been shattered, remembering only brought tears. Rather, the locket had now become a symbol of revenge, a scar that despair had torn through her and a symbol of her desire for revenge. Joining the police had been useless, even with their authority, she could not even catch the murderers. Now, she decided, she was not playing by the rules anymore. 

Mud splashed on bypassers as Avery floored the pedal of her car through the muddy streets of London. Her hair was a mess from the rain and murderous rage consumed the space around her. Her pain was lost in anger. She was determined to catch the murderers as soon as possible and her only lead was the site at the manor. At 80 mph, it wasn’t long before the gloomy manor appeared among the densely populated trees. 

Quickly parking her car among the undergrowth, Avery quickly exited the car and headed towards the edge of the forest. Her eyes scanned the area around the manor, alert for any policemen that might slow down her progress. A couple of solar-powered lights twinkled in the darkness, signaling the workspace the forensics team had plotted. Two unfortunate cops patrolled the forensic tents, cringing as the heavy rain knocked against their umbrellas. One continuously wiped his shining bald head, while the other seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. “Humpty Dumpty and The Grinch” she whispered (Avery found great joy in naming people without their permission, just like Sourpuss, often taking them by surprise when she called them by their less than flattering nicknames). Pulling out a taser and gun, Avery circled towards the side of the building until she was out of sight of the guards. To her pleasant surprise, she spotted a small door, perhaps the servants’ entrance, that led into the manor. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she sprinted to the brick side of the manor, accidentally slipping on mud. The ground rushed towards her as she hurriedly stuck an arm out to prevent herself from slamming into the mud. 

“Oy did ya hear that?” Humpty Dumpty yelled to his partner.

“Hear what? The rain? It’s probably just some ole raccoons” the Grinch replied nasally.

“No, I could’ve sworn I heard something fell, somewhere ‘round here.”

The voices were getting louder and Avery froze momentarily, her mind processing millions of ideas to get her out of this messy situation. What if they found her now, trespassing without permission? There was no way in hell she was going to let them take her in, not when she’s already decided to kill those bloody bastards. “There’s no time to think! I’ve got to get out of here!” Avery thought, gritting her teeth and heaved herself off the ground and through the side entrance.

Among the patter of the rain, she heard the heavy footsteps get closer until they stopped, just five feet from the door.

“See I told you it was nothing.” The Grinch boasted and she could almost see his skinny chest puff up with pride.

With a satisfied sigh, Avery surveyed her surroundings, trying to figure out what part of the building she had blindly stepped into. 

Rusted pots and pans littered the wooden countertops. An old brick oven, blackened, perhaps by its overuse, rested on the side wall. Within the cupboards, smashed plates and dented utensils lay peacefully. Strangely, all the knives were missing. Everything was coated with a fine layer of dust, the gray particles preserving the image of an ancient chaotic last scene.

“Alright, I am in the kitchen. I remember passing by this place when I chased those two murderers before. Now, if only I knew where those murderers were hiding, I could get a clue.”  
She frowned, racking her mind to see if she could remember which direction they escaped to when she chased them down the halls. 

“Oh, maybe that man in the library will remember!” excited with her new plan, Avery exited the kitchen and headed for the stairs, careful not to run into any officers that were patrolling the manor.  
Luckily, she was able to hide from most officers on her way there. 

“So you lied.” A man’s voice rang out as she arrived at the library doorway.  
Avery gasped and jumped. “Way to scare the life out of a girl,” she thought. Once her mind was cleared from the shock, she turned to the man, a bit angry that he had just accused her of lying.

“Look here mister, I did not want to come back here. No sir, it didn’t even cross my mind until 10 minutes ago” her eyes hardened, “And, if it wasn’t for all the shit I went through in the past four hours, I wouldn’t be here. So forgive me if you think I am “lying” to you, people like you probably won’t understand anyway!”  
Avery turned around, those annoying tears returning. She didn’t mean to cry in front of him but his harsh words opened a dam she had tried so hard to hold back during this whole escapade.  
“Fuck you” she muttered, wiping her tears away.

“My lady, I am sorry if I have offended you. A while ago, you said that I was to never see you again and you see, I was slightly disappointed. But now you are here.” The man paused, thinking carefully, “And you are right, I cannot imagine what you have been through as I have not stepped out of here in many years but I can promise I can help ease the pain.” 

The man’s eyes flashed as he said these words, his form leaning towards her in anticipation. 

“Well, what do you say?” He pushed, eager to hear her response.

“What do you mean by ‘ease the pain’. Didn’t you say so yourself that you didn’t know what I’ve been through?” she questioned, eyeing him through her lashes. 

“I can grant you any wish you desire to help alleviate your pain. I have… previous experience in this area.”

“Any wish?” Avery whispered, her eyes widening, “Even bringing the dead to life?”

“If that is what you would like.” the man smiled, revealing teeth sharper than normal canines. 

Avery frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she struggled to decide whether she should accept the deal. Who, no, what was this man? Maybe he was a supernatural being, vampire perhaps? He definitely matched the appearance with his albino skin and scarlet eyes. Would he drink her blood?

“One: are you a vampire and two: there must be a catch. There’s no way this help can be free.” She asked, determined not to agree to some sketchy deal. 

“I am not a vampire and of course there is more. Both sides must profit and what is lost cannot be gained back.” The man smirked at her condescendingly as if he was teaching a little child. 

“An angel then, a very dark angel. Only angels could grant wishes and maybe this was her calling.” Avery silently thought, her human mind reasoning itself. She wished she could ask more about it but the latter part of his statement worried her.

“Then,” she looked at the man straight in the eyes, “that means there is no way of bringing my parents back.”

“Your tears belie your intelligence my lady.” was all he answered.

“You were going to make me think my parents were alive when they really weren’t, weren’t you!” Avery accused, pointing a finger at the man, “That’s insane to think that would be the same thing.”

“What does it matter,” he shrugged indifferently, “isn’t that the same thing. Reality is all in the mind.”

“It’s obviously not!” 

Avery faced her back to the man who stared down at her, her fists trembling. Oh, how she wanted to hit him, angel or not and she would have, if it weren’t for the stupid invisible barrier blocking her. How could he play with her feelings like that! Giving her hope at one moment and shattering them in the next. 

“Fine, rot here for all I care, I’ll leave you to think about your stupid lies and your stupid contract. It’s not me who needs the help.” she stomped away, not caring about any policemen that might’ve been roaming the manor. She was equipped with a taser and a gun and she wasn’t afraid to use them. Her sudden noises drew officers to her area and soon, she could hear their footsteps running towards her.

“Ah shit” she internally cursed, “Why am I so dumb”

“My, you are in quite a predicament” the man commented, “What ever shall you do.”

“Shut it.” Avery snapped as she readied her weapons. 

Soon, the officers barged into the area with guns in hand. Avery smiled but iciness dominated her eyes. She was pissed and was about to take her annoyance out on the officers. Even better, she knew exactly how they were trained. Pressure the intruder but do not shoot until given the order by the chief which she was sure was preoccupied with her parents’ murder.  
“Ughh get out of my head” she growled silently as painful memories suddenly flooded into her mind. Mentally shoving them out, she charged at them, taking all them by surprise as they recognized her. 

“Avery?”

“What are you-”

“Why-”

Using their momentary shock as an opportunity to stab them with a taser or shoot their legs. It wasn’t long before they were all knocked unconscious by electricity or from pain. She proudly surveyed her work, pleased that she was able to take them all. But it was short-lived when she remembered one of the officers had called backup. 

“Fuck more are coming” she groaned, sliding down the wall into a sitting position. 

“Aren’t you a force of chaos” the man observed, peering down at her amusedly, “I had no idea women had such power to take down multiple men like this.”

“Of course they do! Us ladies are trained with the same vigor as men in the force!” she stuck her tongue out. 

“Hmm” was all he heard from him. 

“Argh what should I do, more are coming. They’ve probably taken my car already and I could never get away on foot.”

She put her head between her knees and rubbed her temples, trying to think of a way to get out of this. Normally she would call back up to save her but now, they would be the end of her. 

“I’ll give you two wishes.”

Avery turned around, staring coldly at those crimson eyes. 

“How can I trust you.” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“That is up for you to decide.”

She thought for a moment, her mind digging more possibilities and scenarios than ever before. Her head throbbed just thinking about it! This was harder than coming up with a way out. But what if…

“Give me three wishes.” she demanded, fixing her gaze on him. 

“No”

“Look here mister, I don’t know about you, but I would really hate being locked up here forever and judging by your willingness to negotiate, it seems like not just anyone could make this ‘deal’ here.” she smirked, “It seems like I am this special someone.”

“You are quite astute, my lady”

“And” she continued, counting her fingers, “you owe for, one: getting you out of here, two: being your unique person, and third…” she grinned, “for being an apathetic asshole when ignoring my feelings and for lying to me.”

“I did not-” he argued.

“Be quiet, I’m not hearing any more complaints. Are you taking it or not?” she put a finger in front of his lips, not on them since a barrier was between them.

The man stared at her daring finger, malicious thoughts of breaking it entering his head. How dare she, a lowly human being stop him in the middle of his sentence, and now she was demanding things from him. Truthfully, he did not care for the number of wishes, he could grant all of them and a human’s lifetime was simply a speck in the stretch of his life. But, he enjoyed toying with humans, watching them struggle under his grasp as he cornered them with silly things like wishes. But this girl, this human, was challenging him. He had not witnessed this from a human since his last master and he was eager to play with another brave human once again. “Her soul must be exquisite.” he thought hungrily, his mouth salivating. Of course, all of this went through his head within the split second before he answered. 

“As you wish” he responded and his eyes glowed, “Now, what are your three foolish desires?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anddd finally we see action!


	3. A Wish Upon a Dim Star

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a bit short but please enjoy! I don't own anything except for Avery!

“Three wishes, don’t go back on your word” Avery stipulated, removing her finger from his lips. 

“I would never dream of it.”

“Alright so, how does this work, do I just tell you three wishes, say abracadabra, do a little dance and boom chika bang, we have a contract?”

“Yes but your ‘abracadabra’ and dance is not needed. Shall we begin?” The man inquired, flashing his fake closed eye smile.

“Why do I feel like you’re holding something back again,” Avery questioned, putting a finger to her chin. 

“You need to only ask.”

“Yes, he is definitely hiding something from me.” she thought with certainty, otherwise he wouldn’t be eager to gloss over important details.

“Okay then, what do you gain from this? I remember you had said you needed to make a contract to get out of the barrier but that is not necessarily a benefit from the contract.” she reasoned with curious eyes. 

The man hesitated, glancing at Avery before letting out a tired sigh. “It’s that bad, huh.” she thought.

“You are correct, making a contract was simply for breaking the barrier but as for the contract itself,” he stopped and she could literally see the gears turning in his head as he carefully selected his next words, “I will consume your soul.”

The air grew still. Avery’s mouth hung open in shock, not quite sure how to respond to this statement. Her soul? There was such a thing? Did that mean she would die? Did that mean there was a heaven that souls would go to? At this moment, she wished she knew more about religion. Growing up in an atheist household had left her with little to no knowledge of the supernatural and religion. She did not believe in heaven, hell, or anything. Rather, she believed in what her 5th-grade science teacher told her, that in the end, she would turn into worm food and dirt. 

“So, uh” she began elegantly, stuttering over her words as she tried to piece together her ideas, “eating my soul, right, yeah about that, WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN” she demanded, only just a bit hysterical. 

“Your soul will disappear.”

“You mean, I’m going to die.” 

“If you have to put it that way.”

“Well, if I am eventually going down that path, mind as well brace myself.” she thought.  
“What does it feel like to, uh, have your soul disappear,” she asked the man who now appeared darker than normal. 

“How would I know, I’ve never been eaten.” he responded smirking at her, “I’m normally the one doing the eating.”

“Will my consciousness go to heaven? Like, do I experience anything in the afterlife.” choosing to ignore his snide, she continued her barrage of questions.

“No, you will simply fade from the world.”

“Sounds like what I was taught in school. At least I don’t have to stare at my body rotting and being eaten by worms from someplace.” Avery reflected.

“You’re taking this rather well” the man expressed, clearly awed by her quick acceptance of her faith.

“Well nothing really bothers me anymore, I mean, I’m the type of person who believes aliens exist, so why not this random dark angel who appears out of nowhere to help me and eat my soul. It sounds perfectly aligned with my understanding if you ask me. And, the idea of my ‘soul’ disappearing, I already thought that was gonna happen when I die anyway…” she faltered, as she was reminded about her parents’ death, “and there’s no more reason for me to be in this world anymore.”

The man chuckled, somehow finding a part of her rant entertaining. “She thinks I’m an angel,” he thought, amused at her stupidity. 

But to Avery, he was being ridiculous. She thought he would stop laughing at her after a couple of seconds but he kept on it until she decided to put an end to it. 

“Are you quite done?” she snapped. She was not having it after she had spoken her heart out.

“Yes, yes, it’s just the irony of it all. I am sorry for the outburst. Now,” he clapped his hands together, “that is enough questioning for today, let’s get down to business. Tell me what your three desires are but please remember that I will not take any vague requests, including ‘until I am satisfied’ or ‘until I say so’. Additionally, you can not wish for more wishes, you will only get three.” 

“Darn it” Avery muttered, “Alright here are my three wishes-”

Suddenly, she heard sirens in the distance, blaring their high pitched horns. Based on their faint sounds, she only had ten minutes before they arrived. She gasped, alarmed by the speed at which back up had responded. It’s only been twenty minutes since she knocked out the officers!

“You better hurry my lady, it seems they are close.” the man smiled condescendingly, undoubtedly enjoying her agitation. 

“First, I want you to never lie to me.” she glared at him making sure he understood her order, “You’re a slimy one and I wouldn’t put it past you to deceive me just to make things easier for you.” 

“That shall be done,” he answered, unfazed by the jab. He was, after all, one who embodied evil and he was not bothered by it. 

“Second, you are to aid me in capturing and ending those pigs who murdered my parents,” she continued, “And by AID, I mean that you will become my strength but I will be the mastermind behind their downfall. I want to end those bastards myself.” her hands clenched with anger just thinking about the pair of murderers. 

Internally the man rejoiced, oh how he relished a soul tainted with violence and hatred. To charge ignorantly into corruption without a regret, yes, it was the fine seasoning he so craved for after centuries of confinement. A great hunger overtook him as he glanced at the girl’s eyes, pleased to find innocence still lingering within them. Delicious. 

His voice rumbled as he answered her request, “Of course my lady.”

“And third,” she paused, choosing her next words carefully, “you are to always protect me.” She wanted to make her last wish as vague as possible and ‘protecting’ was perfect since it encompassed many aspects. The man, however, had caught her trick.

“Protect is a very vague word, you will have to be more specific about it. Am I to protect you from physical harm as well as sicknesses? If so, that will be two wishes and not one.” he clarified, sticking two fingers in front of her face to emphasize. 

“Well, it’s up to you. Do you want me to die before you get compensated? I’m already at death’s doorstep as it is since I was planning to take down those murderers even if it requires my life.” Now it was her turn to smirk at him. She knew exactly what he wanted and was sure that there was no way he was going to let this deal come to a premature end without his reward. “Where’s your answer?” she demanded impatiently as the sirens grew louder. It would only be five minutes now. 

“It is done.” the man bowed, amazed by her boldness in challenging a demon. She was certainly not afraid to find loopholes in the ancient contract. 

The hallway glowed a deep violet as a black Faustian symbol engraved itself into Avery’s shoulder blade and the man’s hand. She stifled a cry as it burned her back, clutching it while pulling down her shirt partway to see what it looked like. 

“You didn’t mention anything about this!” she yelled, annoyed by the fact that he had withheld another piece of information from her. 

“You didn’t ask.”

“Asshole,” she muttered. 

“You do know it is rude to call people names. Especially when I will be your savior in the next minute or so” he smiled daggers at her as he stepped out of the library and peered around. 

Avery looked at the man, now that he was out of the gloom. In the light, she could see that his face was sharply sculpted like a Roman statue. He had broad shoulders that contrasted his slim waist and his tall stance cast a dark shadow, even in the light. All in all, he was a handsome fellow and did not look the least bit tired despite being stuck in a room for God knows how long. 

“Like what you see?” the man said, amused.

"No, I was simply wondering what you ate to get so absurdly tall." she said.

"I believe you are aware."

"Who knew souls could be so nourishing." she commented randomly. “Anyways, I know this is a bit late considering the conversation we just had. I’ve been meaning to ask, what should I call you? I'm Avery.” she inquired, curious as to what a dark angel like himself would be called.

“Whatever you like.”

“Don’t you have a name?” She was intrigued. How could someone not have a name?

“I will be whomever you would like me to be.”

“Well then, what were you called before, in your last... ‘contract’?” Naming people was certainly not her specialty and she’d rather save herself from the embarrassment of coming up with one. Her thoughts were interrupted when he responded: 

“Sebastian Michaelis.”


	4. The Magician's Trick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while! I got caught up with summer classes and research stuff. Once that's over though, I can update more often.  
> Thanks for hanging in there!

Avery sighed as she once again glanced around her new room. 

Rich scarlet walls decorated with gleaming gold leafing laced in the fabric of the wallpaper. A spacious wooden desk with meticulously designed carvings stood in the corner next to a towering window that overlooked the forest. A wooden door peeked open which led to her abnormally large bathroom, which of course, was also lavishly decorated in marble grandeur. All in all, the room was remarkably large for a single person and Avery wondered if it was bigger than her apartment. 

“How did I even get here again?” she asked herself again though she knew the answer already. What had transpired in the past 7 hours still blew her mind.

Sebastian had just introduced himself to her when suddenly she saw policemen charging towards her at the other end of the hallway. It was no surprise to her, really and she had picked up her gun to shoot only to realize in dismay that it had run out of bullets.  
“Alright here goes nothing,” she shouted and went with plan B, chucking her taser like a spear to the frontmost police officer who fell to the ground in a twitching mass. Her little trick did its charm as other policemen stopped briefly to make sure their fallen comrade was not hurt. 

“And this is where you run!” Avery declared, grabbing Sebastian’s hand as she tried to hightail down the opposite end of the hallway. However, no matter how hard she pulled, the man would not move. “Are you trying to get caught?” she yelled, as she tugged on his hand harder.

He smirked at her question and remained in his place, “Please, they could never catch me. Would you like me to get rid of them?” he offered though he made no move to show any action. 

“You can do that?” she questioned, letting go of his hand. She was very curious to see him in action. Could he shoot magic through his hands? Manipulate objects? Materialize swords and weapons from thin air? After all, he was a supernatural being. 

“Of course, you only need to order me to do so,” he confirmed.

“Alright, I order you to knock them out!” she asserted pointing her finger at the policemen who once again started running at them. 

“Yes, my lady.” he answered to which Avery responded, “Don’t call me ‘my lady’”.  
Sebastian ignored her and in a flash, he pulled out butter knives from his coat pocket, flipping them out stylishly between his fingers. With the grace of a panther, he dashed to the mob and struck each officer with the edge of the blade. Bodies fell around him as he spun around, a wide smile evident on his face. Sebastian clearly enjoyed showing off. At the same time, the cries of officers sang a chorus of shrieks and shouts around him seemed to be tuned to the whoosh of the knives in the air as he maneuvered them with astounding speed. 

Meanwhile, Avery stood to the side, her form shaking. One would have thought she was shaking with horror but a closer look would find that she had a hand over her mouth as she tried to muffle her laughs.

“A butter knife!” she thought, caught up by the ridiculous choice of weapon, “of all things to choose from! What is he going to do? Butter some toast?” her giggles grew louder as she imagined the stoic, superhuman man bothering with something as menial as spreading butter on bread. (little did she know that was exactly what he did in his previous contract). “I suppose he didn’t have any cool powers or magical items.” she chuckled, wiping tears from her eyes as she looked up. She could have sworn she saw Sebastian glare at her causing her to stick her tongue out in defiance. There was no doubt in her mind that she would tease Sebastian about it later. Surveying his actions, Avery took notice and with great relief, saw that he had not killed her pursuers as per her orders, only clocking the policemen in the head or neck.

With a hard tap on the head with the back of the butter knife, Sebastian knocked out the last officer. “It is done,” he informed her, using a handkerchief to wipe away any specks of blood that may have dirtied his precious little weapons. 

“Mhm, I see that. Nice job and interesting choice of weapon.” she commented, “Never knew butter knives would be the sacred choice of destruction for someone like you.”

“It is an old habit,” he dismissed and put away his glorious butter knives into some secret jacket compartment. “Now, we should get going before more follow. Where do you currently reside?”

“Oh, nowhere, I just ditched my apartment.” 

Dark eyebrows rose beneath his bangs, eyes tinged with interest and a hint of frustration. “May I ask why you did that?” he asked, clearly not enjoying the fact of potentially being homeless. 

“I’m starting a new life with a new beginning so it seemed like a logical choice.” she patted her backpack, “and I packed all my important stuff here too.”

“Hmmm” was all the answer she got. Sebastian’s eyes glowed softly as he glanced her way before looking around with a calculating expression. 

“Soooo, I was thinking of booking a hotel for a couple of nights before we decide where to stay unless you’ve got a better idea.” she continued, trying to justify her point. 

He didn’t answer, his calculating expression showing he was deep in thought.

“AND SO, I guess we are staying in a hotel” she emphasized, trying to get him to respond.

“Why don’t you stay here instead? I will just need to touch the place up. It’ll only take a moment.” he said abruptly after ages of silence. 

“Um, er, what?” She replied intelligently, staring at him like he was lunatic as her mind tried to even work the possibility of that happening. How could a single person fix an entire crumbling building before the sun sets in three hours? Moreover, how would they ward off any incoming police officers?  
“Are you crazy? This place is old and run-down! I could never stay in a place like this! The cops would be coming too!” she yelled at him once she regained control over her brain. 

“Ah, do not worry, it’ll only take a short amount of time and I can take care of any intruders.” he confirmed, “just close your eyes until I notify you, my lady.”

Avery frowned at the title but closed her eyes nonetheless, thinking she would play along to witness more of his powers (or lack thereof). “Don’t do anything weird," she warned. She trusted their little contract and was entertained with the idea that It might give her some more teasing material. However, she did not trust that he wouldn’t do anything on the other side of PG, she was, after all, alone in a dingy, empty manor with a man with miles of forest between her and the closest person she could scream rape to.

“Of course not,” he responded, a little too close to her ear, causing a small shiver to run down her back. Again, she swore she heard him chuckle. 

With a sudden whoosh and thumps which seemed to be the movement of furniture, something in the air changed and Avery vaguely wondered if Sebastian was indeed an Airbender. Altogether, the musty smell was gone, replaced by a gentle breeze of fresh clean air. The wooden floors beneath her feet felt smoother and the wind that had been whistling through the gaps of rotting windows disappeared. 

“Please open your eyes.” an amused voice called.

The once dusty and peeling velvet wallpapers were newly replaced by soft crimson ones, decorated with intricate golden designs. Cracked light fixtures were restored, warming the now visibly long hallway with a pleasant homely glow. Any trace of dust or dirt she had dragged in with her boots was wiped away, along with the mud which clung to her outerwear.  
Awed, Avery peered around the hallway, her jaw hanging open in wonder. Everything screamed rich and Victorian, there were even carvings on the aged wood on the door leading into the library. 

She whistled, impressed. “Wow, this is amazing. How did you manage to remodel everything so quickly? I feel like I’m in the Victorian era!” 

“It is a trade secret. If I couldn’t do this what kind of...” Sebastian paused suddenly and turned away, eyebrows furrowing in deep thought. 

“What kind of what?” Avery prompted, eager to hear the rest of the sentence. It wasn’t often that she would see such a sophisticated man trip on words. 

“My lady, who am I to you?” he asked abruptly, turning to face her with a confused expression. 

“A friend, wait no that’s not right, a partner in crime? A sidekick I guess?” she answered, although she was internally asking herself the same thing, “Why does it matter?”

“I suppose not,” he relented but his eyes told otherwise, “Now, may I lead you to your bedroom, my lady?” He held out his hand politely to her and waited. 

Avery stared at the hand, no one had ever treated her so nicely. Yes, she’s dated others before but this was the first time someone had offered to help her in such a gentlemanly manner. “Maybe this contract isn’t so bad,” she thought. 

“Yes, you may.” she accepted and followed him closely down the numerous grand halls of the manor. She may be quite the adventurer but when it came to directions, she was always hopelessly lost. A large manor like this would be her undoing. 

“Hey Sebastian, do you think you could give me a map of the manor? I have a terrible sense of direction,” she asked, staring at him with large puppy eyes. 

A wide grin appeared on his face, “Do you get lost often?” he snickered, turning around his head to face her while continuing to walk. 

Avery took one look at his smug face and decided against asking him again. There was no way in hell she was going to give him the satisfaction of besting her, even if directions were her weakness. She huffed and retorted, “You know what? Forget I asked you that. I’ll find a way to navigate through this labyrinth myself.” 

“It’s not that big my lady.”

“Don’t call me that. And do all supernatural beings have an annoying personality or is it just your unique little trait acting like a child.”

Sebastian chose to ignore the first part of her response. “Every being has their own character, though some a little more pronounced than others,” his face dipped distastefully as the image of a red-head popped into his head, “Although I have been called many things, none have openly called me ‘annoying’” he replied. 

“That should be impossible with such an irritating personality. I could hardly put up with you in the past few hours” Avery muttered in quiet disbelief. 

“Sorry?” he inquired innocently with a fake smile plastered on his face.

“Nothing. Just thinking about your cute little kitchen toys!” she smirked, “Do you often play house with Mommy?”

“They are-” he began.

“You know what, don’t respond, I know my answer already. Now hurry up, bring me to my room.” she cut in, returning his fake smile. She was determined to win this verbal match with him. 

“Of course. Only if you can keep up.” he responded. Immediately, he quickened his pace until Avery had no choice but to run after him. 

Before long, they arrived at a grand double entrance of an exceptionally large room with an equally impressive bed. It was extravagantly decorated with crimson and gold and the bed looked entrancingly fluffy, suddenly making her feel the tired weight of the day’s activities. 

“Dang, I get to sleep here huh?” she admired before letting out a huge yawn and reaching her arms out to stretch. “Hey I’m just going to sleep right now, could you just magically make all the dirt go away?” 

With a rustle of fabric and a gentle breeze, her clothes returned to their original pristine state. 

“Alright thanks” she yawned again and started walking to the bed. She was about to jump on it when a hand grabbed her arm and tugged her back. 

“Will you not change into your nightgown? I believe this is what humans feel is most comfortable for sleeping.” he suggested, gesturing to the closet which was mysteriously open already to show the said nightgown.

“Hmm okay, could you step out for a minute? I’ll get changed.” she pushed him out of the room until he was at the other side of the doorway. 

“No need for you to force me out, I would have left all the same.” he informed her, “I am after all, under your orders.”

“I can see that.” she smiled and slammed the door in his face.

On the other side, Sebastian scowled at the door and ran a hand through his dark hair. He was going through this again. Her stubbornness rivaled that of his previous master and he had no doubt her wit was the same. She showed no signs of fear, despite learning that he was not human and she acted with great confidence, never lingering in thought over actions. Above all, he wanted to know what drove her to take such drastic measures as to make the cursed deal with him.

A snore brought him out of his thoughts and he entered the room quietly to make sure Avery was safe in her bed. Approaching the foot of her bed, Sebastian watched her sleep, taking note of the soft rise and falls of her chest, the messy hair strewn across the pillow and the small amount of drool escaping from her mouth. Locked up in the library for centuries had made him lose sight of how fragile and bothersome humans were. Now, as he looked down on her, he was reminded of those common traits. Little, petty things like feelings directed their actions, leaving humans as slaves to their own emotions. No matter how steadfast or resolute they may be, they would eventually fall into his waiting hands. Indeed, his previous master had fallen to these terms and Sebastian had no doubt Avery would as well. Yes, he was most excited to play this game with her.


	5. It's We, You and Them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the SUPER SUPER late update. Moved into my dorm a few days ago and college is starting again next Wednesday so will prob be busy but we'll see.

Dust flitted through the air as Avery admired the soldiered lines of leatherbound books on the shelves. They were incredibly old and she wished she had enough time to read all of them. Fingers lightly brushed against each spine, marveling at the smoothness and golden engravings. Lost in thought, she hummed a curious tune, a piano song she had forgotten how to play. 

“My lady, where have you been all morning? Breakfast has already been served.” Sebastian announced, his voice sharply cutting the peacefulness of the library. 

Avery jumped and turned to glare at the irritating man by the door. He smiled back at her innocently which only flared her annoyance further. 

“A little knock would do wonders next time you come into a room,” Avery snapped and began to stomp towards him “And all morning I’ve just been exploring the rooms in this absurdly gigantic manor, can’t a girl do some exploring without getting jumped?” 

From her shorter height, she stared daringly into his eyes, seeing if he would challenge her.

“Ah, I see, did you get lost on your little adventure?” Sebastian asked, peering condescendingly down at her, “I believe it has been six hours since you woke up.” 

Avery’s eyes widened as he found her true reason for stumbling upon the library. This morning, she had made a plan to mentally map out the entire manor since a certain bothersome man wouldn’t give one to her. Initially, she had set out on her journey with great vigor, there was no way she was going to allow Sebastian to get the best of her. However, after countless turns, numerous openings of doors which led to a ridiculous number of sitting rooms and bedrooms, she was getting a headache and her willpower was draining fast. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she left her bedroom and quite frankly, she didn’t care. All she wanted was a nice nap and fortunately, her prayers were answered when she discovered the library. A library that had temporarily taken her fatigue away and replaced it with fascination, only for it to be disrupted by the man in front of her.

A sudden excuse popped into her head as she went over this morning’s activities. She had noticed something was missing!

“Are you saying the five hours of BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS I spent dedicated to surveying this manor’s lack of MODERNNESS was a result of a puny reason like getting lost?” Avery challenged, spreading her hands with emphasis. Sure this was definitely bullshit but hey, who knows what a Victorian man like Sebastian would eat up. 

Said man placed his hand on his forehead in exasperation and peered down at her.

“My lady, if there is anything you would like me to change the manor, you just need to order me.” Sebastian sighed tiredly, accepting whatever gibberish had spewed from her mouth. 

Avery’s eyes lit up. Anything she wanted huh? Her mind flashed to one of the best things she had ever received. 

“Alright then! Today, we are going shopping!” Avery declared, striking a pose and pointing outside.

“Whatever for? You only arrived yesterday.” Sebastian said warily. 

“For a TV,” Avery exclaimed, “and a WiiU!”

Timeskip Brought to You by a Confused Sebastian

“Ahh I forgot how busy London was. Being in that peaceful old house really made me into a granny.” Avery delightedly sighed, stretching her arms out as she got out of her car while carefully watching to see if Sebastian knew how to open the door. She internally giggled when she saw him struggling with the handle.   
Hours before, when she had found her car in the woods and casually got in, she had discovered, much to her entertainment, that Sebastian had trouble with modern technology. As she waited in the driver’s seat, she had turned to see Sebastian simply staring at her vehicle. 

Amused, she took a jab at him, “What are you waiting for? The car door doesn’t open itself you know.” 

He glanced through the window at her, irritation evident in his eyes, “I see the 21st century has made great leaps in innovation. I suppose I will need to educate myself on the present day when we return.” 

Avery rolled her eyes, having a Victorian man by her side was too much of a hassle. “Hmm great plan there. Now, how about you get in the car so I can start driving?”

Sebastian had muttered something under his breath, something about time and running, but she couldn’t hear exactly what he said. Finally, he sighed and answered, “If you insist.” Carefully, like a child testing his new toy for the first time, he tugged at the door handle, only to have it swing open slightly.

“You need to pull it a bit harder.”

He tugged harder and finally, he entered the car, sitting rigidly in the leather seats. He stared displeased at the dusty dashboard.

Avery grinned as he flinched when she started the engine up, “All ready now? Captain Strand will prepare for take-off in 3, 2, 1 and” she licked her lips before she bellowed, “BLAST OFF!” She pushed on the accelerator and the car streaked through the woods, narrowly dodging trees.   
“Hahaha this feels great!” she exclaimed and peeked over her shoulder at Sebastian whose lips had been pulled thin but his face remained impassive like stone. 

“Wow there’s really nothing that can scare him huh,” she thought as she tore down the road towards London. 

Now as she continued to watch him assess the door handle, she thought of all the surprises the modern world held for such a man. What would he think of an airplane? A nuclear bomb? A space rocket? Although Sebastian did not seem shocked at her car, she wondered what could surprise him, at least startle him. 

“My lady are you ready to go?” a voice called out behind her.

She turned around and nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll have to think of something that will truly surprise him.” 

Walking through the London streets and explaining to Sebastian about traffic lights, electric signs, computers, TV’s and smartphones reminded Avery of the extraordinary innovations humanity has achieved. Not only had she bombarded him with the magical gifts of technology, but when she had gotten a paper cut on her finger and pulled out Neosporin and a bandaid, the Victorian man was also quick to question the substance, concerned about her safety and its application. From there, she explained about the origins of anti-bacterial and anti-virals, starting with penicillin and vaccines. 

Sebastian, for his part, absorbed the content remarkably well, rarely stopping her lecturing and a contemplating expression set on his face. When he did interrupt, it was mostly to inquire further about the present day’s weaponry or medical prowess. When Avery explained how, with the invention of automated weapons, nuclear bombs and chemical warfare, science and medicine improved. To this, he hummed in agreement, his garnet eyes holding a faraway look.

As they walked through London, she had bought numerous items, including a TV which Sebastian carried with one hand to the astonishment of everyone around them and which Avery had to whisper at him to put it down and drag the box around like a normal person, much to his distaste. 

“Humans will never change, they will always be inefficient,” he grumbled. 

“Humanity has come much farther than you supernatural beings think. We’re not exactly helpless.” she mused while Sebastian held the door of the Nintendo store open for her. 

As soon as they entered the store, two college girls rushed up to meet them. 

“Hi! How may I help you?” the girl with pink highlights asked, a blush creeping on her cheeks as she blinked rapidly at Sebastian. 

“Anything specific you’re looking for?” the other girl with an Animal Crossing’s shirt offered to them, although it looked more like she was speaking to Sebastian. 

Avery stared at them questioningly then glanced at the supernatural person next to her. Sure he was good looking but not more so than other guys perhaps a 7/10.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “Yes, my acquaintance” he ground out, “is looking for a-” 

“A Wii-U” Avery finished. Sebastian flashed her an annoyed look but she simply ignored it. Prior to entering the store, she tried to teach about Nintendo. He said every technological term perfectly except for the Wii-U, instead enunciating it like a police car siren, weewoo, weewoo.

The pinkie bobbed her head excitedly, at Sebastian “Yes, that is our most popular system so far! I’ll go and get that for you. Are there any games you would like to play on it?” 

Dark clad man opened his mouth to respond but Avery cut him off again with three words that resonated with the entire store.

“Super Smash Bros.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Thank you! Please come again!” the two girls chorused from behind the counter as they waved prettily at Sebastian.

“It was a pleasure.” the overly popular man answered with a fake smile and the girls whispered furiously together. 

As Avery and Sebastian headed back to the car, Avery peered at the two girls again who were still huddled together. This was the fourth time such a situation happened, where Sebastian had entranced every living woman out of her wits. Will this strange phenomenon occur every time she goes out with Sebastian? It must be extremely exhausting to have girls whom you just met fall heads over heels for you. 

“Does it ever get tiring?” Avery suddenly asked.

“No, milady, the bags and boxes weigh nothing for me,” Sebastian responded, lifting six bags of electronics and a TV in one hand to demonstrate.

“No I mean, the way people act around you. How they’re always enchanted by you,” she described, “like bees to a flower.”

The man shrugged indifferently, “No. Humans are simple creatures that only judge on appearance,” a smirk grew on Sebastian’s face, “And do not forget, some flowers use this as an advantage to eat pesky insects.”

Avery shuddered, “You’re horrible.”

“It is common knowledge milady.” 

“Well, I think enough of those pesky insects can bring down a flower.” she retorted, “Just like-”

She broke off to stare at a TV through the store windows. Big, bold letters flashed on the screen: BREAKING NEWS. A news reporter appeared with a shaky photograph on his right side. It was a picture of a bloodied man hanging by his collar at the balcony of his mansion. 

“This afternoon, Mr. Bechtel, the CEO of Britain’s largest surveillance company, Salvus, was found dead on the balcony of his Windsor home. Investigations by the Scotland Yard are still underway but sources say The Players, a pair of murderers who have been brutally killing Britain’s wealthiest men, are the main suspects for this case. Earlier cases have all found a chess piece at the crime scene and the site of Mr. Bechtel’s murder included a pawn. More information will be announced as we follow this news.”

Avery’s eyes widened. The pair had struck again just when she had let her guard down! Her entire frame froze as her mind churned at the thought of her parents’ killers being loose in society. Where were they now? On to another victim? How come the chess pieces were never found earlier when she was on the case?

“-you alright?” a hand waved in front of her dazed face, “We must move towards the side if we are to watch the television.” 

The blurred screen came into focus as she processed Sebastian’s words and his rudely waving hand. 

“Put that hand away from my face. I’m not blind you know.” she snapped, annoyed that she had lost her train of thought. Nevertheless, she moved to the side to allow people to pass by. 

“Forgive me, I am only attempting to keep your head from wandering too high as it always does,” Sebastian responded with feigned concern, his eyes scanning her face with great interest. He followed Avery under the protruding roof of a clothing store, his stance perfectly poised as if he weren’t holding 10 bags and a TV. The aggravating bastard never let his appearance slip, much to Avery’s chagrin.

“Those killers,” she began, pointing at the TV screen which now showed an advertisement for WacDonalds, “they’re the same ones that ended my parents.”

Sebastian nodded, “Yes, I believe they are. It seems that they are known as The Players at the moment. Perhaps due to the game pieces they leave behind.”

“Yes, I was thinking about that too. But why didn’t the investigation team and I find out about it earlier?” Avery paced around, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, “They’re very thorough and don’t leave anything behind. Unless-”

“Unless there is a mole.” Sebastian finished, clapping his hands together, “Thus, explaining why the pieces weren’t found until later when the mole could not recover the chess piece onsite in the recent murder. Brilliant work milady.”

“To prevent the risk of blowing his cover, the mole had to go back to the previous murder sites and place the chess pieces back. Then, when the pieces are found, it would be labeled as an overlooked object. Suspicion resolved.” she reasoned out, putting the fragments of clues together, “but why would the mole be trying to counteract the killers’ intent? That would only happen if-”

“If they were not working together.” Sebastian once again finished and Avery glared at him sharply, hands on her hips.

“Look here mister, I am the detective, not you,” she berated him, “And don’t cut in when I’m talking! I see what you’re doing, trying to steal my thunder.”

“There is no thunder to steal today, the day is quite clear,” he responded pointing shamelessly to the clear blue skies above. 

Avery sighed, already done with his nonsense, “Sebastian.” 

“It is quite physically impossible for any human to command thunder. Even I-” 

“Sebastian.”

“Yes, milady?” He raised a dark eyebrow at her forced tone.

“Shut up.”


End file.
